1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for applying permanent pigment to the skin of a person.
2. Description of Related Art
The marking of a tattoo on a person's skin involves using a needle point applicator to insert color pigments under the skin. The applicator generally includes a handle shaped for a convenient grip by a user's hand, and a metal needle having a sharp pointed tip extending from one end of the handle. The color pigment is applied to the skin by superficially puncturing the skin, and moving the needle in an axial reciprocal motion in and out of the skin to urge the color pigment to just under the skin where the pigment is retained permanently. This procedure inevitably involves exposure of the needle to blood in the body tissues.
In one type of electro-mechanical tattooing device, the needle is typically supported by the device in a manner to allow it to move axially relative to the device housing/handle. A needle drive mechanism, which can be a motor or other electromagnetic device, actuates the needle in an axial reciprocal manner while the housing is held steady by the user. The needle is detachably coupled to the drive mechanism via a needle coupler within the housing which is not accessible by the user. While the needle is discarded after each use, the needle coupler being an integral part of the device, however, remains attached to the device. It has been experienced that blood from the tattooing procedure can contaminate the needle coupler in the housing which is not accessible by the user for cleaning.
The growing concern of infectious diseases, such as "AIDS" transmitted by blood contaminated with HIV, dictates that special attention must be given to decontaminate between uses on different persons the parts of the applicator device that are exposed to blood from the tattooing procedure. Even if the internal parts of the device such as the needle coupler is accessible by the user, the prior integral construction, however, is not suitable for autoclaving or other types of reliable and acceptable decontamination procedures for blood contamination. Mere wiping off the parts is not acceptable by today's health standards.